Toe shield



y 1947- v A. w. WHITEFORD 3 TOE SHIELD Filed March 12, 1946 fig Z [WEA Td/i. H. M/ W11 #6360 BY &

Patented July 8, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOE SHIELD Alexander W. Whiteford, New York, N. Y.

Application March 12, 1946, vSerial No. 653,761

1 Claim. I

This invention relates to a device or appliance to be applied to a toe of a foot for retaining a medicated pad or wad of cotton on a corn or bunion and, serving as a protecting shield for said corn or bunion It is an object of the invention to provide a device of this character adapted to be retained in position on a toe without the use of adhesive applied directly to the toe which usually irritates the skin of the toe and causes lacerations of the skin when the device is removed from the toe.

It is another object of the invention to provide a one piece device for retaining a medicated pad or wad of cotton on a corn or bunion formed from a web of suitable fabric by a single stamping operation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide the device with a pair of like portions spaced from each other to permit positioning one of said portions having an opening therein over a medicated pad applied to a corn or bunion to accommodate said corn or bunion and center the pad on the corn or bunion, and superposing the other portion over the first portion to cover the medicated pad exposed through the opening in the first portion and prevent the medicament carried by the pad from soiling the hosiery worn on the foot of the toe to which the device is applied.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be disclosed in the detailed description of the invention.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the toe portion of a foot and showing my improved device applied to a toe thereof.

Figure 2 is a View, on an enlarged scale, of said device in extended fiat condition looking at one face thereof.

Figure 3 is a view looking at the right hand side edge of the device shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is asectional view of the device applied to a toe relative to a medicated pad and corn or bunion.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of a connecting portion of the device showing said portion arranged with a modified form of slot for the releasable engagement of a tab portion of said device and a projection adapted to be rolled upon itself into a protuberance for engagement at the rear of the ball of the toe upon which the device is engaged.

Figure 6 is a view looking at the'right hand side edge of the connecting portion shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a view of a modification of the device 2 shown in Figure 2 with a medicated pad covering portion omitted.

In carrying out the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, there is provided a blank or strip stamped from a web of suitable material, such as knitted or woven fabric or gauze, comprising a pair of circular disk portions 1 and 8, the disk portion 1 having an opening 9 in the center thereof. The disk portions are connected to each other by a portion it integral with diametrically opposite peripheral sections of the disk portions and of less width than the diameter of the disk portions. The length of the connecting portion will vary and depend upon the cross sectional size of the toe to which the device is applied, so that one disk portion will be superposed to the other disk portion positioned relative to a corn or bunion with the connecting portion encircling the remaining portion of the toe,

The disk portions 1, 8 and the connecting portion Hl' are releasably retained in toe encircling position by a tab portion H integral with and extending laterally from a peripheral section of the disk portion 8 in diametrically opposed relation to the peripheral section of said disk portion adjoining the connecting portion Iii, so that the tab portion may .be extended from the disk portion 8 and readily engaged in an elongated opening or slot I2 arranged in the connecting portion Hi. The tab portion 1 l is retained in the slot l2 by laterally enlarging the free end thereof, as shown at l3 in Figure 2.

Figures 5 and 6 show a modification of the slot l2 formed by a pair of spaced incisions 14 extending transversely of the connecting portion l0 and terminating within the longitudinal or side edges of said portion and the material of the portion H! between the incisions l4 forming'a loop l5. In use, the tab portion H is extended through the incisions l4 below the loop 5 with the enlarged end [3 abutting an edge of the loop.

The device shown in Figures 2sto 6, inclusive,

' is stamped from a web of suitable material by a single stroke of a die arranged to sever the device from the web and simultaneously form the opening 9 and the slot I2 or incisions I4.

In the use of the device shown in Figures 2 to 6, inclusive, the disk portion 7 is engaged over a pad or wad of cotton p carrying a suitable corn or bunion medicament and positioned over a corn or bunion c on a toe t with the opening 9 centering the pad p relative to the corn or bunion and accommodating the corn or bunion. The connecting portion I0 is extended from the disk portion 1 around the toe t to position the disk portion 8 in superposed relation to the disk portion I to cover the opening and prevent the medicament of the pad p from being transferred to the hosiery worn on the foot of the toe to which the device is applied. The tab portion H is extended from the disk portion 8 over the connecting portion l0 and the enlarged end I 3 is engaged and secured in the slot I2 or with the loop 15, as shown in Figure 4.

To further prevent the device shown in Figures 2 to 6, inclusive, from slipping off the toe, the connecting portion I0 may be provided with a portion I6 integral with and projecting from around a toe and the engaging of the projection 20 into the slot 23 to position the head 22 in securing engagement with the edges of said slot. The device shown in Figure '7 is also readily stamped from a web of suitable material by a single stroke of a die simultaneously forming the opening l9 and slot 23.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A shield for the purpose specified consisting of a fabric strip arranged with a pair of disklike portions, portion connecting the disk portions in spaced relation and having a slot there- 1 in, and a tab portion extended from one disk a side or longitudinal edge of the connecting por-- tion 10 and having the free end laterally enlarged, as shown at I! in Figure 5, to facilitate rolling of the projecting portion l6 inwardly upon itself from said enlarged end to the juncture thereof with the side edge of the connecting portion 18 and forming a protuberance to be engaged at the rear of the ball of the toe. The projection I6, i! may be formed by the die simultaneously with the forming of the device.

In Figure '7, there is shown a modification of the device shown in Figure 2 with the medicated pad covering portion 8 removed and comprising a disk portion 18 having a center opening I9 for engaging and centering a medicated pad p on an affected part c of the toe t. Diametrically opposite portions of the disk, I 8 are arranged with integral projections 20 and 2|, the projection 20 being arranged with an enlarged head 22 adapted to be engaged and secured in a slot 23 in the projection 2| when the device is wrapped around a toe. The length of the device from the extremities of the projections 20 and 2i is sufiicient to permit the wrapping of the device portion diametrically opposite the disk connecting portion and arranged with an enlarged end, said strip adapted to encircle a toe with the disk portions superposed to each other relative to an affected part of the toe and the tab portion superposed and adapted to be releasably engaged in the slot of the disk connecting portion with the enlarged end of the tab portion retaining the tab portion in engagement with the slot to retain the shield upon the toe.

1 ALEXANDER W. WHITEFORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 925,963 Stoldt June 22, 1909 895,145 Bauer Aug. 4, 1908 1,476,682 Beckman Dec. 11, 1923 872,060 Fitzgibbon Nov. 26, 1907 2,367,814 Whiteford 1- Jan. 23, 1945 2,361,506 Smith Oct. 31, 1944 

